• Hi all. We have had reports of member's signatures being edited to include malicious content. You can rest assured this wasn't done by staff and we can find no indication that the forums themselves have been compromised.

    However, remember to keep your passwords secure. If you use similar logins on multiple sites, people and even bots may be able to access your account.

    We always recommend using unique passwords and enable two-factor authentication if possible. Make sure you are secure.
  • Be sure to join the discussion on our discord at: Discord.gg/serebii
  • If you're still waiting for the e-mail, be sure to check your junk/spam e-mail folders

Do you consider the Alola league to be a “ real league? “

Legitimate league or no?

  • Yes

    Votes: 44 58.7%
  • No

    Votes: 22 29.3%
  • Don’t know

    Votes: 2 2.7%
  • Don’t care

    Votes: 7 9.3%

  • Total voters
    75

Kuzehiko

That moment I found a lifetime treasure
If Ash will be declared champion of the Alola region then he must stay in that region in order to defend his title and do not go back to Kanto. The end of SM will confirm whether it is a real league or not. If he does return to Kanto, then it just isn't.
 

Red and Blue

Well-Known Member
If Ash will be declared champion of the Alola region then he must stay in that region in order to defend his title and do not go back to Kanto. The end of SM will confirm whether it is a real league or not. If he does return to Kanto, then it just isn't.
In the anime Alola could have a series of Champions instead of one. Ash could just end up the first Champion
 
To me it's not a real league, more like a gift to Ash since he's winning it without having to battle that many strong trainers when all is said and done. Only Gladion and maybe Hau were a real challenge for Ash.
 

PokemonBattleFanatic-

Well-Known Member
Despite Ash winning the Alola League it's still inferior to the ones that came before it
1.Lily of the Valley Conference (Sinnoh League)
-Paul vs Ash
-Ash vs Conway
-Paul vs Barry
-Ash vs Nando
-Ash vs Tobias

2.Ever Grande Conference (Hoenn League)
-Ash vs Katie
-Ash vs Tyson
-Ash vs Morrison
-Ash vs Clark
-Ash vs Dominick
-Morrison vs Gavin

3.Silver Conference (Johto League)
-Ash vs Harrison
-Ash vs Gary
-Ash vs Jackson
-Ash vs Macy

4.Lumiose Conference (Kalos League)
-Ash vs Alain
-Ash vs Sawyer
-Sawyer vs Tierno

5.Vertress Conference (Unova League)
-Ash vs Stephan
-Cameron vs Bianca

6.Indigo Plateau Conference (Kanto League)
N/A

Sinnoh League > Hoenn League > Johto League > Kalos League >> Unova League => Alola League >> Kanto League
 

U.N. Owen

In Brightest Day, In Blackest Night ...
It is an official league. Unless the Pokemon Association, or the anime equivalent of the same PokeSpe organization, expunges it from the record or states that the proper paperwork wasn't filed in time or technicality or whatever, it's an official league.

Personally, I dislike when people equate quality with legitimacy. I'm just reminded of the massive fanfics out there which will never be canon despite being leagues better than the actual anime.
 

Leonhart

Imagineer
It counts from my perspective, but that doesn't mean that I'm pleased about the Alola League overall. It could've been much better if there had been more opponents that could've been taken seriously, instead of most of the Top 16 being made of friendly rivals and Satoshi's classmates, with Guzma and the Rocket-dan added in for flavor.
 

TheWanderingMist

Paladin of the Snow Queen
If Ash will be declared champion of the Alola region then he must stay in that region in order to defend his title and do not go back to Kanto. The end of SM will confirm whether it is a real league or not. If he does return to Kanto, then it just isn't.
By this logic, neither Cynthia nor Diantha are the Champions of their regions, seeing as Cynthia showed up in Unova and Diantha is a globe-trotting actress.
 

U.N. Owen

In Brightest Day, In Blackest Night ...
By this logic, neither Cynthia nor Diantha are the Champions of their regions, seeing as Cynthia showed up in Unova and Diantha is a globe-trotting actress.

Or Lance in Hoenn for that matter.

I don't get where people drew the conclusion that champion was a full time job. Lance works as a government agent in the anime and even the games to some extent, Steven Stone is a geologist and paleontologist, Wallace has all sorts of contest stuff going for him, Cynthia is an archaeologist, and Diantha acts.

The only champions which don't have day jobs are Iris and the PC who are children and Alder who even gets a day job teaching when Iris takes the mantle of champion from him.
 

DatsRight

Well-Known Member
Truthfully I think the Alola League did a decent job amping up the tensity and professionalism with each round, it's just that due to already running past the length of a normal league, it had to be compressed. Semi-finals and finals were great matches but all felt maybe one tier below what they should have. I think if we'd at least got up to proper full team battles by the end people might have been more forgiving towards it.

Say if the participants had been 32 and we'd got one extra round so we'd been condensed to just the experienced battlers earlier on, or even if they just amped up the team numbers quicker so the last battle was at least a full 6 v 6 (quarter finals could have got round this by being a double battle to keep it compressed, semi finals 3 v 3 and finals full teams).
 

Emelie

Bookworm
Well, technically it might be but you can't deny that Lillie and the others didn't work towards the league during the course of the SM anime. Compare to Dawn, Serena, May and mabye even Iris who was constantly working towards their own version of "the league". It never felt like becoming the Alola champion was something Lillie and the others dreamt of.

The only exception was Kiawe since his desire to compete with Satoshi was introduced early on. Note how excited he was when the league was announced while the other classmates didn't seem to care all that much.

I think what the Alola league lacks is passion. Even if Lillie sucked at battling it could still have been interesting if she was passionate about becoming the first Alola champion and if she would have had a similar desire to surpass her brother that Kiawe had when he wanted to battle Satoshi. Imagine if she had actively trained and tried her best to build up a team that could realistically take on her brother's?

It's also a shame that there are so many joke characters like Team Rocket. Mabye it could have been interesting if Kojiro would have secretly dreamed of participating in a league since he is so inactive compared to Musashi who still has dreams and desires. Or mabye there could have been an arc when Kojiro realizes that he doesn't really have any hopes and dreams for the future and try to change that? Feels like missed potential.
 
Last edited:

AznKei

Dawn & Chloe by ddangbi
Well, techinally it might be but you can't deny that Lillie and the others didn't work towards the league during the course of the SM anime. Compare to Dawn, Serena, May and mabye even Iris who was constantly working towards their own version of "the league". It never felt like becoming the Alola champion was something Lillie and the others dreamt of.

The only exception was Kiawe since his desire to compete with Satoshi was introduced early on. Note how excited he was when the league was announced while the other classmates didn't seem to care all that much.

I think what the Alola league lacks is passion. Even if Lillie sucked at battling it could still have been interesting if she was passionate about becoming the first Alola champion and if she would have had a similar desire to surpass her brother that Kiawe had when he wanted to battle Satoshi. Imagine if she had actively trained and tried her best to build up a team that could realistically take on her brother's?

It's also a shame that there are so many joke characters like Team Rocket. Mabye it could have been interesting if Kojiro would have secretly dreamed of participating in a league since he is so inactive compared to Musashi who still has dreams and desires. Or mabye there could have been an arc when Kojiro realizes that he doesn't really have any hopes and dreams for the future and try to change that? Feels like missed potential.
The classmates, except Kiawe & Ash, would participate anyways to get their first hands-on experiences in the 1st ever Alola Pokemon League, so I don't see a problem about it, and I would have done the same when I participate into an event for the 1st time, in my case my local Pump It Up arcade dance game tournament, having a fun time doing it than being obsessed to win. The problem is that the viewers had already seen the other Pokemon Leagues, along being exposed to the mainstream games with their specific rules, so they're expecting alot from the Alola League.
 

Emelie

Bookworm
The classmates, except Kiawe & Ash, would participate anyways to get their first hands-on experiences in the 1st ever Alola Pokemon League, so I don't see a problem about it, and I would have done the same when I participate into an event for the 1st time, in my case my local Pump It Up arcade dance game tournament, having a fun time doing it than being obsessed to win. The problem is that the viewers had already seen the other Pokemon Leagues, along being exposed to the mainstream games with their specific rules, so they're expecting alot from the Alola League.

But still couldn't Lillie at least have tried to win? She didn't even have a team since she just had one Pokémon and she didn't even think of how to power up said Pokémon.

What was the point of giving her a ice stone? The SM anime is almost over so I think it would have been great character development if Vulpix had evolved. Especially since it was presented as something Vulpix might want in the future when it has fully matured. It's kind of like if Serena's Eevee just stayed anxious and never developed.

I'm not hating on Lillie here, it's quite the opposite since I love when female protagonists get to participate in tournaments instead of just sitting on the bench and cheer for the male hero. I'm disappointed because it feels like missed potential especially since it has been years since they showed female characters wanting to participate in the league and become the champion.
 

DatsRight

Well-Known Member
As said I think if the league had more rounds to transition more fully from "playful all star battles" to "serious professional ones" it would have seemed more legit. One extra round served as the quarter finals, so the likes of James, Lana and Sophocles didn't make up its competition.

But still couldn't Lillie at least have tried to win? She didn't even have a team since she just had one Pokémon and she didn't even think of how to power up said Pokémon.

What was the point of giving her a ice stone? The SM anime is almost over so I think it would have been great character development if Vulpix had evolved. Especially since it was presented as something Vulpix might want in the future when it has fully matured. It's kind of like if Serena's Eevee just stayed anxious and never developed.

I'm not hating on Lillie here, it's quite the opposite since I love when female protagonists get to participate in tournaments instead of just sitting on the bench and cheer for the male hero. I'm disappointed because it feels like missed potential especially since it has been years since they showed female characters wanting to participate in the league and become the champion.

Technically Serena's Eevee evolved and pretty much lost all its flaws (which also cut its limelight tremendously).

This only furthers my belief that the league is to pivot development for the companions instead of culminate it and some of them will be getting return appearances after the series is over. It would also explain the skimpier teams this series and why the girls haven't had a lot of development time as trainers. The league was a taste of what they could have.
 

Kuzehiko

That moment I found a lifetime treasure
By this logic, neither Cynthia nor Diantha are the Champions of their regions, seeing as Cynthia showed up in Unova and Diantha is a globe-trotting actress.
Meant that as in the sense he settles down in Alola until he loses his title. That doesn't mean he can't visit other regions.
 

CMButch

Kanto is love. Kanto is life.
Meant that as in the sense he settles down in Alola until he loses his title. That doesn't mean he can't visit other regions.
That won't happen lol. Ash will go to Galar unless someone comes near the end of SM and beats him. Even if he's a champion so is Kukui. So what's the point of two champions in Alola? Kukui will stay and Ash will go to Galar and get 8 badges and compete in Galar league.

Unless Kukui is not yet champion and winner between two will be.. which I can bet Kukui would win.
 

Kuzehiko

That moment I found a lifetime treasure
That won't happen lol. Ash will go to Galar unless someone comes near the end of SM and beats him. Even if he's a champion so is Kukui. So what's the point of two champions in Alola? Kukui will stay and Ash will go to Galar and get 8 badges and compete in Galar league.

Unless Kukui is not yet champion and winner between two will be.. which I can bet Kukui would win.
I agree.
I do not want him to stay in Alola either.
Unless the series gets rebootted he won't stay in Alola. who knows whether or not he will go to Galar, he might travel around all regions in the same series.
 

J.Agera

[Top-notch Сasual Dating Authentic Ladies]
The classmates, except Kiawe & Ash, would participate anyways to get their first hands-on experiences in the 1st ever Alola Pokemon League, so I don't see a problem about it, and I would have done the same when I participate into an event for the 1st time, in my case my local Pump It Up arcade dance game tournament, having a fun time doing it than being obsessed to win. The problem is that the viewers had already seen the other Pokemon Leagues, along being exposed to the mainstream games with their specific rules, so they're expecting alot from the Alola League.
I wouldn't without having at least 4-6 Pokemon.
 
Top